Never A Pawn, Never A Player
by onyxinlife
Summary: Set in the modern universe, Ciel attends the criminal law classes at a university just to specifically meet Professor McAllister. McAllister is a mystery to those around her and Ciel is ready to crack her shell. What is the reason for his desperate search? Why would he need the help of a lowly human if he has a demon like Sebastian by his side?
1. Chapter 1

_Why do I have to be here again?_

Ciel Phantomhive rolled his cobalt blue eyes as he listened in to the chatter around him. Despite the reputation of University College London, the new first year students seemed just as entitled as ever. He grunted in pain as a girl's bag hit the back of his head. The stupid slag didn't even bother apologizing. Why did women love to lug around such huge bags anyway? He had half a mind to tell the girl next to him to stop fidgeting but the boy on her right decided to instead.

"Mei, can you just stop? Why are you so on edge?"

"Because it's Professor McAllister! She's amazing and has taken down even the worst prosecutors in Europe. So excuse me for being nervous"

The door of the lecture hall swung open and a silence fell over the 100 or so students. Professor McAllister walked across the room towards the lecturer's podium, heels clicking on the wooden floor. She was dressed in a knee length black dress with her black hair in a neat bun. All eyes watched her as she switched on the overhead projector and revealed her lecture slides.

"So," she glanced around the lecture hall with her sharp dark eyes. "I am Professor McAllister. Welcome to Criminal Law". She pressed a button and the next slide appeared.

"I'm sure you've all seen those ridiculous law shows on TV. All of them show easy cases and court drama which can be solved in a day. However, in real life, that does not happen" she stepped away from the podium and took a step forward towards the front row of seated students.

"People ask me several times why I chose criminal law as my career choice. It wasn't for justice or for the reputation. It was more for my own curiosity. My father once said that in criminal law, people are on their best behavior. Family law is where you see people at their worst"

Ciel leaned forward in interest and her dark eyes were on him immediately.

"So let's test the knowledge in this room. The case of John Wayne Bobbit. Who can tell me the facts? Please name yourself before you answer"

There was a flurry of activity as the room spurred into action. It was clear that no student had even prepared well for the day. A hand rose up between the chaos and Professor McAllister nodded to the obviously nervous young man.

"Jason Bournemouth. John Wayne Bobbit was killed by his wife on June 23rd 1993. She attacked him and cut of approximately 2.5cm of his manhood after he allegedly raped her"

"What was her testimony in court? Yes, you over there" Professor McAllister motioned to a girl on the far right.

"Mary Jo Allen. According to her court testimony, Lorena the wife left the house and threw his severed manhood along the side of the highway. She realized the seriousness of the incident and called 911" the girl replied confidently.

"Verdict?" Professor McAllister looked around at all the raised hands before catching Ciel's eye. She nodded to him which Ciel took as a cue to answer.

"She was found not guilty due to her husband's sexual abuse and pleaded insanity"

"Well done. Was this a crime of passion or a crime of logic?"

"Passion" the students collectively echoed.

"What if I told you that you were wrong?" Professor McAllister smirked.

The students glanced at each other in confusion.

"Perhaps, Lorena had a secret lover. A woman. She didn't want to be that woman who left her husband for a woman. Imagine this, John returns home from a day at work and finds his wife in bed with another woman. He sneaks out of the home and pretends he came home late. He plans and makes a recording of the love making session and decides to blackmail his own wife"

Professor McAllister smirked as she held up a USB drive.

"I have saved the copy of the love making scene which proves my theory. I admit it to the judge while the prosecutor accuses me of getting evidence illegally. I dismiss her theory by providing the source which is possessions retrieved from John's office which the prosecution had ignored"

All breaths caught as Professor McAllister let out a laugh.

"Criminal Defense 101. Create a seed of doubt within the jury and win the case"

Ciel sat back and smirked. It hadn't escaped him that she had not asked for his name. This professor was going to be rather interesting.

* * *

"So that concludes our lecture for this week. Refer to the module study guide for next week's lecture. Prepare for it. If you all wish for a good grade, I suggest you all attend. Have a good weekend"

There was a general groan of discontent at this but she ignored it, favouring to shut down the projector and disconnect her laptop. She was glad it was a Friday. She needed a break from her students pestering her all the time. She slid her laptop into her bag slowly, taking her time and waiting for the room to empty.

Eventually, she was the only one left in the lecture hall. She zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder. A quick scan of the lecture hall produced no lost items. She heard the door click open and turned around. The sight of one of the most popular finance professors made her smile, Professor Edwards. Despite the fact that he was divorced and had no intention of dating ever again, his fans were always waiting for a chance to win him over.

"We're all heading out to the pub for a drink"

"I think I'll call it an early night. Assignments don't really grade themselves" she smiled sweetly.

"It's the first week, McAllister" he folded his arms, clearly seeing through her lie.

"I'll be there next week. Promise"

"You better" with a nod of his head, he departed.

She shouldered her bag and made her way out of the building. Her beloved car, a 2008 red convertible mini cooper awaited her. She threw her bag into the back seat and seated herself into the driver's seat. Her phone beeped, catching her attention for a minute. The passenger door of her car opened and she narrowed her eyes as a rather tall black man seated himself comfortably.

"I always hated this little thing" he grumbled, referring to her rather small car.

"It's enough for me" she replied coolly. The stranger chuckled.

"Always tough to change your mind, isn't it?" he mused.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He sighed. "Can we move on from this, G? I already apologised for what I did".

"And I asked for space. Not for you to be invading my privacy and stalking me. Now leave before I dial 999" her eyes flashed with a warning.

"Okay. Call me" the stranger stepped out of the car and slammed the door hard enough to shake the whole car.

She sighed and leaned against the seat. She needed a cold hard drink.

* * *

"Vodka with lemon. Keep them coming"

The bartender nodded and served her. She could feel eyes on her as she took a sip of the drink. It wasn't as if she had not attempted to dress up. Her black dress hugged her curves in all the right places and she reached up to let her hair down. Her hair cascaded down her back and she gave it a couple of flips to set it right.

"Excuse me?"

She glanced up at a rather handsome young man. He wouldn't even be a day over 28. He was classily dressed in a suit and she noted his rather light coloured eyes and full lips.

"Yes?"

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked with a warm smile.

"Go ahead" she smiled with a raised brow.

"Your reputation precedes you, Professor McAllister" the man commented as he sat down.

"You know my name. I should know yours" she said and took a few more sips of her drink.

"Fred Aberlain. It's a pleasure"

"So what made you wander over to me?" she asked.

"Well if I can be frank, you are quite beautiful. I'm sure a lot of the men in this bar would agree. The hair trick was a plus point" his light eyes crinkled as he let out a small laugh.

"Nice to know an old bag still has it"

"I didn't want anyone else to snatch your company for the night so wandered over the first opportunity I got" Fred confessed with a shy grin.

"Wonderful. Let's have something to eat, shall we?" she grabbed her coat and bag and began walking towards the exit of the bar, only to turn around when she saw Fred wasn't following her.

"Well come along!" she said loudly, prompting the red head to scramble up and follow her.

* * *

"She is rather interesting, I agree, however, why her out of all the people in London?" Ciel asked as he signed yet another legal document.

"She seemed the only one with a suitable track record, Master" Sebastian Michaelis replied.

"She will be a tough nut to crack Sebastian. Find all information about her immediately. Search for any weak points so that we may exploit it. I need this woman if she is as good as you say she is" Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my Lord"

 _An hour later…._

"Giselle McAllister. 29 years old. Former defense lawyer turned professor, she began teaching at UCL two years ago and has the highest class rating. Students from her classes are usually top lawyers in large firms" Sebastian reported.

"Why the sudden change from a lawyer to a professor. The money earned as a defense lawyer should let her retire early and live lavishly. To change all that for a lowly teacher's salary is quite strange" Ciel leaned his chin on his interlocked fingers and Sebastian sighed.

"Unfortunately there is no public reason for the change in careers"

"What about family?" Ciel probed.

"She does have a mother and a late father. However, there has been no contact for the past five years. No public reason for that either, Master" Sebastian shut his rather slim file of information.

"There's nothing else?!" Ciel slammed his fist on the oak table.

"Professor McAllister's past is shrouded with mystery" Sebastian bowed low as an apology.

"Keep an eye on her just in case something good comes up. We must get her before Scotland Yard do" Ciel ordered.

"Yes, my Lord"

* * *

Giselle slammed the door of her Mini Cooper, pressing the lock button over her shoulder as she walked over the building elevator which was yet again out of order. Her feet ached and she groaned as she began climbing the stairs up to the third floor of the apartment building. Unlocking the door, she pushed it shut and leaned against it just for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she resting her feet at last by throwing off her heels and poured herself a glass of water from the sink.

The conversation with Fred Aberlain had taken longer than she had expected. He was rather good looking and a good conversationalist but Giselle wasn't drunk enough to actually take him home and let him fuck her brains out. He didn't look like the type of man to do that. Giselle scoffed. Men always were never the way they seemed. She had learned it the hard way in life.

She stripped off her clothes and stepped under the warm shower stream. Running her fingers through her hair, she massaged the pressure points at the back of her neck and sighed as she felt a bit of the pain leave her. Turning around, with the shower stream running down her back, she caught sight of her naked body in the full length mirror.

Grimacing, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and gently touched the scar on her lower abdomen. It was a dark and stood out against her pale skin and she turned around to let the spray wash over her face. She threw herself into her bed and closed her eyes in exhaustion. Yet another year, another batch of students and another year of misery.

* * *

"Tomorrow is the deadline for all of your reports. Don't forget that this is my way of deciding which ten students should receive a recommendation and an opportunity to be interviewed by the top ten law firms to be a summer associate. Do not miss this opportunity to impress me and your future employer. Have a good weekend"

Giselle stepped away from the lecturer's podium and slowed her movements as the students noisily exited the lecture hall. Over the course of a month, she had already mentally picked out her ten students. The only thing left was to read the reports and give the reward to them. She had yet to be surprised and her guesses were always right.

"Professor McAllister, there's a man outside who wishes to see you" one of her last straggling students motioned towards the door.

"Come in!" Giselle called out.

She rolled her eyes when he entered the room. Standing in front of her, she realized exactly how tall he was. Even with her heels on, he towered over her and she blinked rapidly, trying to forget the chiseled abs he was hiding under the leather jacket he was wearing.

"Like what you see?" He smirked.

"As if" Giselle shoved her files into her bag and squeaked when she was whirled around by him.

"I miss you, G. Let's go get dinner"

"Edward, I am not going to dinner with you. You should be at home with your wife!" Giselle attempted to kick his feet, not that it would do any good.

"I told you I'm not in love with my wife anymore. Come on, would I be pursuing you like this if you didn't mean anything to me?"

She would be lying if she said she didn't miss feeling his rock hard abs or gasping for breath as his searing kisses burned her. He stepped forward and she moved back until her back hit the lecturer's podium. His muscled arms caged her and he leaned in, ghosting her lips.

"No."

He stepped back. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her eyes to the floor and spoke.

"I can't do this. Go back to your wife. She needs you"

She didn't look up until she heard his footsteps fade away. It was only then that she allowed a single tear to escape from her eye.

* * *

 **Hello everyone. I have returned back to the Kuroshitsuji fandom after a very long time. I love bringing the anime into the modern world and fusing it with various elements of the real world. I began drafting this chapter with the idea of a new mature writing style. Criticism is always welcome. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **Onyxinlife.**


	2. Chapter 2

_This is impossible._

Giselle leaned back against her leather office chair and she continued reading a certain student's report. Her entire weekend had been spent reading the reports and she already had a list of ten potential students. She was on her final report when the whole report pulled her in right at the abstract. Engrossed in it, she lost sight of the time and had just finished reading.

"An undergraduate writing a report like this? Hard to believe" she scoffed and then searched for the ID number of the student.

She paused before typing in the number in the student database. It was against the university rules to search for a student while grading students. This was to prevent bias while a professor checked a student's report. Giselle took a deep breath and typed in the number. She watched as the little hourglass rotated for a minute before revealing the photo of the student.

"Ciel Phantomhive?"

* * *

"Our professor is a bit of a recluse; I see" Ciel smirked as he read over Sebastian's report.

"She was in the company of Inspector Fred Aberlain tonight and they have met up before as well on the 4th of May" Sebastian poured the tea into a beautiful Havilland tea cup.

"Scotland Yard is trying to recruit her" Ciel's fist clenched. "We need to act fast before that happens. Send the letter immediately"

"Yes, Master. I shall make preparations for the finest dinner" Sebastian placed the tea in front of Ciel.

"Uphold the Phantomhive name, Sebastian"

"Yes, my Lord"

* * *

Giselle smirked as she examined herself in the mirror. Even she had to admit, she looked good. She didn't exactly know why the Earl Phantomhive would want to see her but she was going to look damn good if she was going to an earl's home. His personal chauffeured sedan was already outside her apartment, waiting to receive her.

Seating herself in the luxurious car, she nodded to the driver who quickly sped off to the English countryside. Her phone beeped and she smiled as she found a text from Fred. They had exchanged numbers at their last meetings and she would dare say that she was actually finding him quite attractive. He was funny and he made her smile which was more than what she had received from the last few men in her life. Her face darkened as she remembered the misery she had received over her life.

The car pulled to a stop and her door opened. A gloved hand reached out and she took it as she stepped out of the car. She stared up at a dark haired man with pale skin and rather strange red eyes. He was dressed in a servant's uniform and the lapel on his breast pocket signified he was the head butler of the house.

"Welcome to Phantomhive manor. I am Sebastian Michaelis, the butler of this manor" his voice was silky and smooth, dripping with honey.

"Pleasure to meet you. Giselle McAllister" a quick smile flashed across her red lips.

"My master has been expecting you. Please come in"

Sebastian took the lead in helping her up the manor steps and into the welcoming warmth. Handing off her coat to the butler, Giselle stared around at the gigantic parlor. She could fit her entire apartment in this very room. A slight cough made her turn around and face Sebastian.

"Please follow me" Her heels clicked on the tiled floor as she followed him into a small but formal sitting room.

"My master will be with you momentarily" with that, the butler exited the room.

Giselle did a quick scan of the room. Was the Earl Phantomhive indeed that rich? Why had he called her at his manor? Did he catch wind of his son Ciel's suspicious report writing skills? The door knob turned and in stepped Ciel Phantomhive himself, dressed in a tailored black suit.

"Ciel?" Giselle smiled.

"Good evening Professor McAllister. I hope the ride over here wasn't too uncomfortable" Ciel seated himself opposite.

"It was fine. Sebastian has been most hospitable towards me" Giselle gave the butler a quick smile to which he bowed low to.

"We shall head to dinner soon. I have a few things to speak to you about" Ciel stared hard at her.

"I must meet the Earl first before any conversation begins. I have to thank him for the invitation" Giselle chuckled.

"Professor McAllister, I am the Earl Phantomhive. My parents are deceased. I was the one who sent for you tonight"

Giselle felt her mouth dry and she nodded.

"I invited you here for a very specific reason. As I understand, you are a former defense lawyer. I am currently in a case and I wish for you to defend me in court" Ciel folded his arms.

Giselle's fists clenched as she stared at the young blue eyed man across from her.

"No"

"I'm sorry?"

"I am no longer a defense lawyer. I am a law professor and have left my former career behind me. I would prefer not to return to that career"

"Why? You had a glittering career and now I wish to use your intellect and proficiency. I am willing to pay as much as you want" Ciel leaned forward.

Giselle sighed. "It is a career I left for a reason. I apologize, Earl Phantomhive. I do not wish to be embroiled in this" she stood up.

"Professor McAllister, you underestimate what I can do" Ciel stood as well.

"No means no, Phantomhive"

"Then the dear wife of Mr. Nathaniel Brook will find out about your illicit affair with her husband. It must have been quite thrilling, sleeping with another woman's man"

Her nails dug in painfully as she stared hard at the young man.

"How dare you"

"I am desperate, Professor. I will do anything to have you represent me"

"What have you been accused of?" Giselle asked, pure curiosity getting to her.

"Murder of my fiancée Elizabeth"

* * *

Giselle had left immediately after Ciel admitted that. She had not accepted the case yet but had asked for some preliminary files so she could examine the case in detail. Ciel had been more than willing to share it and had had Sebastian give her a thick file full of papers. Upon arriving home, she stripped off, showered and wore her comfortable pajamas. She faced the enormous file on her study desk. This would take her all night to read through. Flipping open the file, she was hit by a memory.

* * *

" _Make sure that this isn't leaked to the prosecutor. All we need now is a leak to mess all this up" Giselle slammed the file shut and handed it off to her associate, William Spears._

" _It won't get to anyone" William nodded before turning around and walking out of Giselle's office._

 _Giselle stood and followed Mark out. "Angela! Did you schedule the appointment with Mr. Baxter? His case is pending the signing of the engagement letter"_

" _Already scheduled for Monday next week" Angela replied without looking up from her laptop._

" _Brilliant. When are the new interns joining us?"_

" _As soon as your tough selection process lets them" Mark pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose._

" _Anyone who thinks my selection process is tough is in for a rude wakeup call" Giselle smirked._

* * *

Giselle wiped away a tear. She didn't even know where William and Angela were at this point. She had not met them after shutting down her law practice. In fact, they probably had a rude awakening when they showed up for work at her office and seen the signs indicating that the practice was closed. She stared down at the file and began reading.

After an hour, her mind had slipped into the familiar lawyer mode. She was already writing down notes on various police reports and witness documents. Her phone began ringing and she nearly jumped out of her skin. A quick glance at the clock showed it was almost 2am. She scrambled for her phone and noticed the unknown number.

"Giselle McAllister"

"Hello Professor. I'm surprised you are still awake at this time" the clear and calm voice of Ciel Phantomhive made goose bumps rise on her skin.

"Earl Phantomhive, I was just reading the file your butler gave me"

"Did you see something that made you change your mind?" Ciel was clutching the phone so tight, his knuckles were white.

"I need some more time. It's been years, Earl. This isn't an easy decision to make"

She ended the call and placed her phone on the table in front of her. She needed a good night's sleep.

* * *

"So you invited me out this time" Fred took a bite of the piping hot pasta with envious ease.

"If you consider my home outside then yes I did. I even cooked. Its not something I do often" Giselle grinned.

"Of course. Miss high and mighty defense lawyer usually had no time to cook"

"Miss high and mighty had a great track record, I might add. A fantastic one"

Giselle stood up with her empty plate and placed it into the sink. She could feel his eyes on her as she washed the dish and placed it on the drying rack. She turned around and leaned against the counter. She had gone for the daring shorts and t shirt look today. Her hair wasn't straightened and she had makeup on her face. Even if she was trying to look normal, she wasn't ready to take off her mask of makeup.

Fred stood up with his plate and stepped towards her. He placed the dish in the sink and stood so close to her that she could feel his breath on her lips. It was obvious that her attraction to him was mutual. He reached up and cupped her face with his hands.

"I've been dying to do this ever since I first laid eyes on you" he whispered before leaning in and capturing her lips with his. She kissed him back and he picked her up by the waist and placed her on the kitchen counter.

She squeaked as she was kissed deeply by him. His tongue plundered every inch of her mouth until she felt lightheaded. He picked her up again and stumbled into her living room. He tossed her onto the couch and climbed on top of her, pulling her body flush against his. He kissed and bit at her neck and with the pain level, he was definitely leaving bruises. His hands crept under her tank top, making her hiss as his cold hands explored her bare skin.

She reached up and unbuttoned his shirt. He sat up, took it off, and pulled her up. She yelped as her tank top was yanked off her, leaving her in her bra. He stared at her bare shoulders and turned her around so her back was exposed to him. He began kissing all over her back and shoulders. She felt his hands playing with her breasts through her bra. She could do nothing except lean against his chest and let him continue with his ministrations. It was definitely pleasurable to be worshipped by a man like this.

He picked her up and took her upstairs. The dish was never washed that night.

* * *

 _Thank Lord, yesterday was a Friday._

That was the only thing on Giselle's mind as she watched Fred sleep. She felt so well rested nestled beside him with his arm wrapped around her. He was fast asleep with his mouth open, thankfully not drooling onto her pillows. She reached up and pushed his chin up, effectively closing his mouth. His right eye cracked open and she felt herself being pulled. She obeyed and cuddled against his chest. His arm tightened around her and she fell asleep again.

She awoke to the smell of something being cooked in the kitchen. She stretched lazily and sat up. Her hair was a curly mess and her face was greasy. She ran to the bathroom to wash her face off and ran a brush through her hair. She tied it up into a quick bun and grabbed his white shirt from last night. It was slightly too big on her but she liked it anyway. She pulled on a pair of her black shorts and fluffy slippers. She shuffled down the stairs and followed the wonderful smell into the kitchen where the table was set for breakfast for two.

"Morning, sexy"

She grinned as she hugged him from behind tightly. He laughed as he turned around and hugged her tightly. He kissed her on her head and gestured for her to sit down. She did and he served her with eggs and hash browns. She raised a brow since she didn't even have all this food at her own home.

"I went shopping. You definitely don't eat" Fred said sitting down opposite her.

"Not in a habit of eating breakfast" she commented as she bit into the fresh warm croissants.

"It's the weekend. You need to eat"

"Thank you" she began eating in earnest, not being able to hide her hunger any longer.

"I didn't throw the pasta out. I'll reheat it for lunch. Dinner is out tonight"

"Out? Where?" she asked.

"Somewhere. Dress up in a sexy dress. Style your hair and do your makeup. I want to see you look sexy tonight" Fred winked and she flushed.

"Where are we going, though?"

"I said somewhere. I'll have to pop out to go home after lunch but I will be back at 7 to pick you up. Until then, I'm yours to do what you want" Fred replied. "Until then, I need a shower" he smirked as he watched her.

"Your appetite for sex just won't dissipate" she complained.

"Oh come off it, love" she jumped as she heard British slang roll out of his mouth.

"It's love, is it?" she teased.

"Shower? You? Me? Choose quickly" he asked with a wolf like smirk.

"After breakfast" she promised and he grinned.

* * *

"Fred Aberlain" Ciel grumbled as he flipped through photos of Giselle and Fred walking out of a restaurant arm in arm.

"They have formed a rather close bond. Inspector Aberlain spent the night at the professor's home last night" Sebastian reported.

"This is impossible. Find me another lawyer Sebastian. She is just not serious enough for this" Ciel said.

"Master, give it one more day. I am sure Professor McAllister will make up her mind" Sebastian smirked.

 _One more day, McAllister. One more day._


	3. Chapter 3

Giselle sighed as the gates to the Phantomhive mansion swung open. She drove down the long driveway and stopped right outside the front steps. Sebastian awaited her, however this time, she got out of her car and walked right through the front doors of the mansion. She turned and waited for Sebastian to catch up. He led her up the stairs into a more comfortable study room.

Ciel Phantomhive was waiting for her at his desk. Two cups of piping hot tea were ready with a plate of biscuits to munch on. Giselle seated herself and placed Ciel's large fact file on the desk in front of them. She crossed her legs and smirked at the Earl. He raised a brow in curiosity and Giselle finally spoke.

"I'll do it" she declared.

"What made you change your mind?" Ciel asked with genuine curiosity.

"I read the file. The case is quite challenging but Giselle McAllister is known to bring down the highest and the mightiest of people. I couldn't resist myself. However, I do have a few conditions"

"Name them"

"One, I need to renew my license to practice law. Two, I need to reopen my law office and recover my former associates, if they will actually work with me" her face fell but perked right back up. "Third, I need the god honest truth from you or God help me Ciel, I will murder you myself. Last, don't you dare interfere in my work. I hate it when people do that"

"Consider your conditions met" Ciel smirked.

"Now, I read through this file. Are you sure you have all of these in order?" Giselle flipped open the file.

"Yes I do. All police report plus several references that can vouch my location during the night of the murder—"

"Which are fake"

"Excuse me?"

Giselle rolled her eyes. "Yes they are fake. I did take the opportunity to cross check all these 'references' which proves you don't even have an alibi, Phantomhive". Sighing, she stared right at the Earl's uncovered eye. "I'm going to be very frank here and ask you; did you commit the murder?".

The Earl sat up ramrod straight. He shook his head and stared straight at the defense lawyer. "No, I did not commit this murder".

"Good" Giselle pulled out a notebook from her bag and uncapped a pen. "Onto business then. What happened during that night?"

"Lady Elizabeth is actually my cousin, Professor. We have been betrothed ever since we were children" Ciel leaned back against the back of the leather chair. "Our marriage was scheduled for when we both turned 25. I have cared deeply for her and she truly did love me in return. Although propriety states that we should not be living in the same home, she came to visit me because I had just received my acceptance to UCL".

"Prosecution could play up that you resented the betrothal and wanted to get rid of her" Giselle scribbled away and nodded for the Earl to continue.

"That night, my close friend Alois Trancy invited me to a local pub…."

* * *

" _Did you have to be a light weight, Alois" Ciel scoffed as he helped his friend out of the pub._

" _I can still- hic- have more!"_

 _Ciel seated his friend into the cab and instructed the driver on what route to take. He sat back against the seats and grimaced as Alois began singing 'London Bridge is Falling Down' and various other nursery rhymes. Finally, Alois's mansion arrived and his butler Claude Faustus came to receive him._

 _The rain began pouring relentlessly by the time Ciel arrived at his home. To his surprise, Sebastian wasn't at the gates waiting for him. He ran down the driveway after paying the cab driver and pushed open the doors to the manor. Immediately, something felt off. All the lights in the manor had been turned off and not a sound was to be heard._

 _He quickly ran up the stairs and found the guest bedroom door open slightly. His palms began to sweat and bile rose up in his throat as he stepped into the room. His one covered eye opened underneath the eye patch as he stepped into something wet and warm. Crimson blood soaked the white carpet. It was coming from the bed. Ciel's eyes followed the trail and he stared in horror at the sight of Elizabeth's dead body, slumped and drenched in blood._

" _Lizzie!" Ciel jumped onto the bed and shook her violently trying to see if she was still alive. Her body was already cold and her eyes were empty. Ciel slumped over her body, his shoulders shaking with unreleased sobs. He started when he heard rapidly approaching footsteps. He sprung into action and quickly pulled open the bedside drawer for Lizzie's gun._

 _He pointed the gun at the intruders and froze when he realized it was the police. The gun clattered onto the floor as he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he realized what it looked like. He couldn't have painted it better himself. He was in a full blown murder scene and he stumbled back, only to fall onto the floor and vomit out all the alcohol he had drunk with Alois. An officer cuffed him and led him out to the awaiting cars._

* * *

"I see. You had quite some composure back there. People have told me far more horrible tales and they usually go into shock just retelling the tale" Giselle commented.

She chuckled and then became serious. "So you were found with Elizabeth, covered in her blood, intoxicated and you pointed a gun at the police and were sick on the floor after they found you?" Ciel nodded. "I can see why they think you did it, Ciel. If you hadn't gotten a bit lost in your thoughts, I would have thought you had really committed this murder".

"You don't trust my word?" Ciel asked.

"Of course I don't. Anyone is capable of anything. Even me" she winked. "That's why I don't trust anyone".

Ciel stayed silent, allowing the lawyer to look over her notes. He noticed Sebastian's contemplative gaze and narrowed his eyes. Professor McAllister was a lot smarter than they thought. She had been able to dismiss a lot of the documents that Sebastian had created for them to worm their way out and she had already asked several crucial questions that he had not been prepared to answer.

"According to the police, there will be a preliminary hearing to see if there is enough evidence to make this case go to trial. In that case, I shall need time to prepare and recruit my associates once again. I will try my best not to make this case go to trial but unfortunately Ciel, I don't see that happening" Giselle closed the file and stood. "My associates will be prepping you for trial if and when it happens".

"And what if your associates do not join you anymore?" Ciel asked.

"You're not the only one with loyal servants" Giselle gave a specific look at Sebastian and walked out of the mansion.

* * *

 _Ding dong!_

William Spears rushed down the stairs as fast as he could. He was expecting a rather important package and this was the third time Fedex would be attempting to deliver it. He pulled open the door and received the shock of his life. Standing on his doorstep was his former employer, Giselle McAllister. He blinked once, twice, three times just hoping that he wasn't imagining her after all this time.

"Giselle?"

"Hello, William"

William flopped down onto the couch. He didn't dare stop staring at her. He was more afraid that she would disappear just like the way she did years ago. He noted her slimmer than normal physique, her long black hair and the excessive amount of makeup on her face. Despite all that, no one could deny the elegance and power in her dark gaze.

"What happened? Where did you go, Giselle? I tried looking for you but the office was closed and you sold your home and I couldn't even look you up because you changed your name. Angela and I were so worried"

"I know, William. The name change was necessary. My husband and I annulled our marriage and I didn't want to use my father's name so I used my mother's maiden name instead"

"Wait you were married?"

"Yes I was. I was separated when I began my law firm and hired you. Things just got too complicated and I had to leave"

"Why not tell me and Angela? It was unfair. We were just left aside! We cared far more than you realize, Giselle. You couldn't just throw us away like the way you threw away the prosecutors in your court room battles"

Giselle cast down her gaze, ashamed. William had been one of her former interns. His work ethic and his amazing attention to detail as well as quick thinking had landed him the prestigious position at her private law firm. Angela had been a quiet, rather meek girl when she had met Giselle but she had also turned out to be a snake in the grass.

"Where is Angela?" Giselle was almost too afraid to ask.

"She's dead, Giselle. She died in a car accident a year ago"

Giselle's heart sank as tears misted her eyes. The young studious girl who was so much like herself was dead. And Giselle hadn't even been able to say her goodbyes. Seating himself next to her, William took her hand and placed an arm around her shoulders. Giselle let the sobs come out and held onto William like a lifeline.

"It wasn't your fault Giselle. It was a hit and run"

Giselle nodded and extracted herself from his arms.

"I have a case William. A murder case. I want you back as my associate"

"Giselle, why come back now?"

"Because someone needs my help. Now tell me, are you in or not?" Giselle stared hard at him.

"I'll do it. Anything for you" William replied.

* * *

It surprised Giselle how quickly the week went by. She would go to the university, run her lectures and seminars and then quickly rush to the Phantomhive mansion where she and William would discuss the progress of the case with Ciel. She would come home exhausted, and feed herself something small before collapsing into bed for minimal hours of sleep only to wake herself up and do it all over again.

They had lost the preliminary hearing and were now going to trial. William had already done his research and was ready to outline the defense plan that Giselle would then use as a rough outline and specialize it to suit her needs. The first day of the trial approached and Giselle found herself in the familiar court room with Ciel seated next to her. The first witness called to the stand was Elizabeth Midford's brother, Edward. He was already glaring at Ciel once the prosecutor began his questioning.

Giselle stood up and smiled at the young blond man.

"So Edward, as your mother informs me, you and Ciel never really got along. Is that true?"

"I did dislike him initially yes. But that was because I was protective of my sister. It is normal for any brother to care about the person that his sister would be married to in the future. However, I do admire him for carrying out his duties as an Earl" Edward replied.

"So please do explain what Elizabeth told you prior to her murder. According to the police reports, she did call you an hour before her murder"

"She said she felt afraid being alone in the manor. All the servants had departed for the night and she had requested for Sebastian to go and fetch Ciel. She mentioned feeling rather scared of Ciel as well"

Giselle nodded. She turned around and picked up a file and handed it to the prosecutor and the judge.

"Edward, do you take sleeping medication?" Giselle asked.

"Yes I do"

"What time exactly do you take your medication?"

"Every night at 9pm" Edward began playing with his fingers, a sure sign of nervousness.

"According to the reports, Your Honour, the medication Edward usually takes begins to take effect only fifteen minutes after ingesting it. In that case when Elizabeth called her dear brother at 9:13pm that night, he was already feeling the effects and therefore could not have bee able to comprehend what exactly his sister was trying to tell him"

"Objection, Your Honour. My witness has clearly stated his story and has not changed it once!"

"Overruled"

Giselle approached Edward. "Did Elizabeth truly say those words?"

"I….. I don't know. I don't remember"

The entire courtroom began whispering and Giselle smiled. "No further questions". She seated herself next to Ciel who let a smirk come onto his face. She had completely discredited the only good witness that the prosecution had. The judge ordered for silence and set the second trial date.

* * *

"You still got it after all this time" Ciel smirked.

"We have a lot more work to do. We need to create another suspect for this murder. I've already discredited the witness so now we need to move forward. I just hope the prosecution doesn't get something to one up us in the meantime" Giselle sipped delicately at her tea.

"I can assure you, there is nothing to worry about at all" Sebastian offered her some biscuits.

Giselle smiled and then turned to face her associate. "William, I need to go and see Angela".

* * *

A cool breeze surrounded the graveyard. Giselle bent down and placed the bouquet of white roses on Angela's grave. She took a step back and closed her eyes, in remembrance of the beautiful blond woman who had been through so much in her short life.

"She knew about my marriage".

William turned to stare at his boss Giselle smiled as she remembered the day Angela had walked into her and her husband's rather passionate kisses.

"She was amazing, William. She meant a lot to me. We were both similar in a way and I was quite close to her. I just wish it didn't have to end this way". Giselle wiped a tear away from her eye.

"Now we can move on from it. We have to win this case for her" William wrapped an arm around her shoulder and let her lean on him.

They turned around and walked out of the graveyard.

* * *

" _Knight Edward Midford was found dead in his car tonight. The death has been ruled as a murder. Edward Midford had just been a key witness in the murder trial of his own sister, Elizabeth-"_

Ciel turned off the TV. Giselle was staring quite suspiciously at him. William broke the silence.

"So now what?"


End file.
